Internal-combustion engine



Jan. 14, 1930. R. BOILARD,

I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Jan. 14, 1930. R. BQILARD INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed g- 1 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mgm'oze H AITORNEYS Patented Jan. 14, 1930 PATENT GFF'IQ'IE RA HA L L-A D, Q 3. KLYN, E YORK Application filed August 14, 1929. Serial No. 385,715.

This invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide an improved rotary internal combustion engine having a rotor comprising a plurality of cylinders with pistons" therein and an improved combustion chamber coacting successively with the cylinders so as to impart energy to the piston to cause rotation of the rotor.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an improved device of the character described in which the air for combustion is utilized to impart a torque to the'rotor by means of the cylinders mentioned or in association with pockets that are suitably arranged for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rotary internal combustion engine 29 in which the rotor comprises cylinders and pistons therein and in which a part of the air for combustion is supplied tothe engine at high velocity to impart a torque to the rotor and improved means utilizesthe air so sup 5 plied for scavenging a combustion chamber which communicates successively 'wi th the cylinders.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a device of the nature specified in which 39 the communication between the combustion chamber and the cylinders is of improved constricted form to constitute what is in the nature of an orifice soas to cause the burning gases from the combustion chamber to act with high velocity upon the cylinders and the pistons therein to impart a turning action to the rotor; and in which the said constricted communication takes the form of an abutment to assure motivation of the piston by the expanding gases.

Another object of the invention is the provision of'an improved rotary internal combustion enginein which the combustion chan her is associated in an improved manner successively with the cylinders to cause a maxi.- mum impulse by the burning gases upon the rotor, and in which such association may consist in aligning the combustion chamber with its communicating cylinder.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the nature set forth which has comparatively few and simple parts, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and reliable and efficient to a high degree in use; in which fuels of various kinds may be burned obtaining the maximum power and with a possibility of speed control for a considerable range, and which in all other respects may conform to all the requirements that may be expected of an engine of this type according to the present day practice.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodimets, pointed out in the 'subjoinedj claims, and illustrated on the annexed drawing, wherein like par-ts are designated by the same refer ence characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view Show ing an embodiment of the invention Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken along aplane passingthrough an axis of the engine.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified relation of the combustion chamber with a cylinder, the same being in substantial alignment.

Fig. l is a similar view showing an aligned relation of an air nozzle with acylinder.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a combustion chamber extending c.n angle to a cylinder. 7

F 6 is a similar view showing an air nozzle extending at an angle to a cylinder.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modification of the invention, including the combustion chamber and asso ciated gas distributing means.

Fig. 8 is a view looking at the inner peripheral surface of the casing as shown by arrows 8..8 on Fig. 7.

Generally described, the invention provides a rotary internal combustion engine in which there is arranged an eccentric carrying a rotor which includes a plurality of loo cylinders forming relatively small angles with the tangents to the rotor and in which cylinders are pistons which are interconnected with the eccentric, whereby the reciprocations of the pistons exert power on the eccentric to cause the rotor to turn. Coacting with the cylinders is a combustion chamber in the wall ofthe casing of the engine with means to supply fuel to the chamber. l/Vithin the scope of the invention it is intended that any kind of fuel Whatever may be burned in the combustion chamber including, for example, gas and oil, the latter being of varying density to suit the required conditions. If desired a certain quantity of air may be supplied to the combustion chamber to regulate the feed of the fuel. Where gaseous fuel is used, such air will have the effect of distributing and premixing with the fuel to permit an eflicient combustion and at a proper speed. WVhere the fuel used is oil, either a carburetor may be employed for light oils, or an atomizer in the case of heavy oils. If desired the engine may be so arranged that substantially all of the air to support combustion may be supplied directly to the chamber. It is preferred, however, that a portion of this air shall be supplied by the cylinders themselves into which a charge of air may be fed at a suitable pressure, and then compressed by the cylinders to a higher pressure.

While the air that is furnished direct to the cylinders may be at atmospheric pressure, yet if such air have an initial pressure and is subsequently further compressed by the pistons, a sufi'icient temperature may be available in the air itself to instantly ignite the fuel. WVhere for other reasons, this principle is not employed, a suitable ignition means may coact with the combustion chamber in the form of a spark plug or the like. The means for supplying air to the cylinders may take the form of a nozzle which directs the air into the cylinders at a suitable pressure and velocity to thereby impart a turning impulse to the rotor. If desired the rotor may be provided with air pockets which are disposed in any suitable manner, as, for example, intermediately of the cylinders, and which receive a portion of the air discharged from the said nozzle, thus not only'increasing the impulse of the air on the rotor, but also affording a convenient and novel means of scavenging the combustion chamber. For the purpose of scavenging as aforesaid, a passage way may be constructed in the wall of the casing which extends into the combustion chamber and is adapted to communicate successively with'the said pockets. In the case of a. very large engine, a comparatively large number of the cylinders Will be employed, andin that I event the angles at which the cylinders are disposed will be properly altered, and the pockets substantially eliminated to make room for a sufficient number of the cylinders;

The engine is intended to operate either with all of its cylinders running or any desired number thereof. Although an even number of the cylinders has been shown in the drawing, it will be understood that preferably an odd number of cylinders is used as, for example,'nine, eleven, and so forth. The reason for this is that the engine may then be operated a with four cylinders running, in which case an additional cylinder will remain which Will permit the cylinders that are used to be changed in rotation so as to prevent overheating of the cylinders, although a high temperature will simultaneously be available therein for an eflicient combustion of the fuel. The effective diameter of the eccentric may be varied to suit the particular design of the engine and in the case of the larger units may be made quite large with the levers arranged to correspond, thus rendering available a very high degree of power in the engine. 7

The combustion chamber may coact with the cylinders either in aligned relation therewith or at an angle thereto, and of course the direction of rotation of the rotor will be changedin any suitable manner. An essential feature of the invention is the fact that the communication between the combustion chamber and the cylinders is in the form of a nozzle so that the burning gases are discharged into the cylinders at very high velocity to impart a turning impulse to the rotor. Furthermore, the cylinders may, if necessary, have abutments therein which tend to constrict the communication with the combust-ion chamber so that the expanding gases will act effectively against the piston to cause the same to reciprocate to turn the rotor. It is thus seen that this invention provides an internal combustion engine that embodies principles of the turbine. V

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in theart to which this invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanyingdrawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the inven tion.

This application discloses an improvement over certain features of the construction shown in my application for patent on rotary internal combustion engine, Serial No. 263,

357,filed March 21st, 1928.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a device embodying the invention. The same includes a casing 11 mounted, for example, on structural members 11 and Which casing is of any suitable design and may be the engine, the same including an outlet 50 extending from a recess 51 in the wall of the enginecasing and a pipe 52 being connected to the outlet to conduct the exhaust gases to any desired point.

The operation of the device will now be clearly apparent. WVith the engine arranged as shown in Fig. 1, the direction of rotation of the rotor is counterclockwise. After the rotor has been started in any suitable manner, whether by the use of air pressure or by the application of power in some other form, the fuel is supplied to the combustion chamber preferably mixed with a predetermined quantity of air. The air which has been re ceived in the cylinders from the nozzle 49 is compressed to any required point by the pistons 31 through the connectionsbetween the pistons and the eccentric member 22 including the links 35, 36, and the levers 39. As each cylinder in succession comes into communica tion with the combustion chamber, the air in that cylinder is at its maximum point of compression. At that instant, the fuel is ignited, creating a high degreeof pressure in the communicat-ing cylinder, causing the piston 31 thereof to be moved, which in turn, in conjunction with the eccentric 22, imparts a torque to the rotor. Thena pocket 43 comes into communication with the passage way 48 and sends a charge of air under pressure into the chamber 45 to scavenge the same of burnt gases. Since the passage 48 is formed in the nature of a nozzle, the air flows at high velocity therethrough, producing a rapid ed dying of the burnt gases in the combustion chamber 45, so that these gases are carried into the same pocket as it comes into registry with the combustion chamber itself. There is thus a circulatory action which suflicient- 1y purges the combustion chamber. Then another charge of fuel is supplied to the com bustion chamber and the next succeeding cylinder 30 comes into action so that a con tinued turning of the rotor is assured. The products of combustion are exhausted from the pockets along the recess 51 and thence through the outlet of the exhaust pipe 52 The engine may also function as a twophase engine by the use of only a predetermined number of the total number of cylinders provided. Thus only alternate cylinders may be 'fired'and preferably a large number of the cylinders is employed so that where the total number of the cylinders is nine, the number of those fired may be four,

thus making the number of those unfired greater by one than the number of those fired.

This excess in the number of the cylinders which are not fired permits the cylinders to be operated in rotation insuch a manner that each and every cylinder is fired at a certain point in the cycle of the engine, and yet only four of the cylinders are fired in any one rota-.

tion of the rotor. This permits a desired variation to be produced in the effects of the engine and also a certain degree of cooling in the cylinders, and yet this interchange in the firing of the cylinders is not sufiicient to prevent the cylinders from having a comparatively high temperature for efiicient combustion of the fuel. Of course it will be appreciated that it will be necessary to provide suitable operating mechanism to control the supply of fuel to the combustion chamber and also to time the ignition means to effect the purpose set forth. Such mechanism is considered to be fairly within the ability of any one skilled in the art and is therefore shown conventionally at 53. c

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a modification of the invention in which the combustion chamber 45 is in substantial alinement with each of the cylinders 30 as the same come into communication with the chamber. The combustion chamber is likewise provided with an atomizer 46 and an ignition means 47%. The combustion chamber is itself shaped in the form of a nozzle having its smaller end at the outlet of the chamber. Each of the cylinders has an abutment 54 which constricts the opening of the cylinder. According to this modificaion, the burned expanding gases are discharged at high veloc ity from the combustion chamber and act in a substantially direct manner against the face of the pistons 31 so that a direct impulse is exerted on the pistons, the movement whereof is thus caused not only as a result of the expanding gases, but primarily by the velocity of the same.,yAn air nozzle 49 coacts to supply air under pressure and at high velocity to the cylinders and to the pockets 43, this air nozzle being positioned to cause the rotor to turn in a direction opposite to that of the machine shown in Fig. 1. This direction of rotation is aided by the direct impulse effect in the movement of the gases from the combustion chamber into the cylinders. .Fur-

thermore, the connections between the pistons and the eccentric member 22 are such as to cause the rotor toturn in the same in a clockwise direction. To scavenge the com bustion chamber a passage 48 is provided similar to the. passage 48 shown in Fig. 1,

but oppositely positioned with respect to the combustion chamber so as to cause the air from the pockets 4 3 in a similar'manner to pass through the passage 48 to scavenge the combustion chamber of burned gases. In all other respects the operation of this modification is the same as that set forth in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, and the same observa-' tions as to the basic principles apply thereto.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a further modification of the invention in which a combus- 47*. This modification differs, however, principally from the engine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in that the combustion chamber is formed in the shape of a nozzle and the cylinder is provided with an abutment 54 The said abutment assures that the burned gases which enter the cylinder will act with the req: uisit-e pressure against the piston therein in? asmuch as the cylinder has now a wall against which the gases react. To supply air to the cylinders and the pockets 43, an air nozzle 49 is disposed as disclosed in Fig. 1. The air from the pockets 43 may act through the pas.- sage .48 to scavenge the cylinder. In all other respects this modification is the same as that of the other forms .of the invention hereinbefore described.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a further modification of the invention which includes means for varying the effect of the combustion gases from the chamber 45 on the cylinders 30. In this modification of the invention there is formed a recess 55 extending along the inner wall of the casing and around all sides of the combustion chamber. Thus the products of combustion pass from the chamber to V the said recess and thence into a cylinder. Set into the inner Wall of the recess are a plurality of batt e plugs 56 which xtend in pa ll li m o h xi of thecombustion ch mh a d ub ta ti ly to he ar of th inner surface of the engine casing. The members 56 are suitably staggered and are thus positioned wholly around the combustion chamber. This modification may be incorporated into any of the forms of the invention hereinbefore described. The members 56 act as a directing means to cause a flow of burning gases at high velocity in parallelism to the axis of the combustion chamber and to impinge the rotor at an angle of maximum efficiency. The said members 56 may be considered to'constitute a plurality of directional combustion spaces. By suitably adjusting the spacing of said members, a high velocity of flame propagation is maintained. The temperature of the plugs may be such as to aid in the rapidity of the combustion, and they may, of course, be at the temperature of ignition of the fuel.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a construction which fulfills the several objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a casing, a rotor therein, a shaft, said rotor comprising an eccentric mounted on the shaft, a plurality of cylinders having their axes extending at comparatively small angles with the tangents, pistons in the cylinders, means interconnecting the pistons and the eccentric to cause each piston to impart a torque to the rotor to turn the same continuously, a combustion chamber in the casing communicating successively with the cylinders, means to supply air and fuel to the combustion chamber and to cause ignition of the fuel therein, and means on the rotor forming pockets, means to supply additional air to the cylinders for supporting the combustion of the fuel, and for impinging in said pockets to turn the ro- 1101, the casing having passages communicating said pockets with the combustion chamber to cause the latter to be scavenged of the products of combustion.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cas ing, a rotor therein, a shaft, an eccentric on h haf for s id re he roto i lu g means forming alternate cylinders and pockets, the cylinders having their axes disposed at relatively small angles with the tangents to the rotor, pistons in the cylinders, intercon: m t ng m an en e Piston and the eccentric whereby the pistons turn the rot-or, means to supply air at high velocity to the pockets and to the cylinders to create a rotational impact on the rotor, a combustion chamber in the casing communicating successively with the cylinders, means to supply air and atomized fuel to the combustion chamher and to cause ignition of the fuel, the air in the cylinder serving to complete the combustion, the air from the said pockets acting to scavenge the combustion chamber.

3, In an internal combustion engine, a casing, a rotor therein, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft for the rotor, means on the rotor form ng p ur ty of y nders ng ly spacedwith respect to the eccentric, pistons n the cylin er on c ions we n e p etons and. the eccentric to cause the rotor pis ton to be turned continuously as a result of the reciprocations of the pistons, a combustion chamber in the casing adapted to communicate successively with the cylinders, m an to surely atomized Oil to the o si n chambe an mean to upply a d ectly thereto and to the cylinders, l

' l. in an internal combustion engine, a pasng, a tor h r n, a ft, an e c ntri n he haft fo e o or. mea s on the rotor or ing a plu ality o y inders e sulc y spaced with respect to the eccentric, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the eccentric to causethe rotor piston to be turned continuously as a result of the reciprocations of the pistons, a combustion chamber in the casing adapted to communicate successively with the cylinders, means to supply fuel and air to the combustion chamber and to cause ignition of the fuel, means associated with the rotor to impart a torque there-to, and an air nozzle to supply air at high velocity to said associated means.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a .cas-

spaced wit espe t o the ecc nt ic, pi te -e piston to be turned continuously as a result of the recipr cations of the pistons, a combus tion chamber in the casing adapted'to communicate successively with the cylinders, and means'to supply fuel and air to the combustion chamber and to cause ignition of the fuel, there being a recess in the casing about the combustionchamber and in communication therewith, and directional combustion means in the recess to direct the products of combustion into the cylinders.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a casing, a rotor therein, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft for the rotor, means on the rotor forming a plurality of cylinders angularly spaced with respect to the eccentric, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the eccentric to cause the rotor piston to be turned continuously as a result of the reciprocations of the pistons, a combustion chamber in the casing adapted to communicate successively with the cylinders, and means to supply fuel and air to the combustion chamber and to cause ignition of the fuel, the communication between the combustion chamber and the cylinders being restricted to provide a nozzle discharge into the cylinders.-

' 7, In an internal combustion engine, a casing, a rotor therein, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft for the rotor, means on the rotor forming a plurality of cylinders angularly spaced with respect to the eccentric, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the eccentric to cause the rotor pisignition of the fuel, the cylinders havington to be turned continuously as a result of the reciprocations of the pistons, a combustion chamber in the casing adapted to communicate successively with the cylinders, the cylinders being in substantial alinement with the combustion chamber when in communication therewith, and means to supply fuel and air to the combustion chamber and to cause abutments at their points of communication with the combustion chamber, said abutments restricting the area of communication. 7

8. In an internal combustion engine, a casing, a rotor, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft for the rotor, means on the rotor providing a plurality of angularly spaced cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, connecting means between the pistons and the eccentric to cause the reciprocations of the pistons to impart a torque to the rotor, a combustion chamber in the casing communicating in succession with the cylinders, means to supply fuel and air to the combustion chamber and to cause i nition of the fuel, there being a recess 1n the casing in the bottom of which the combustion chamber terminates, and means in said recess to direct the products of combustion at high velocity and with predetermined direction into the cylinders.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a casing, a rotor, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft for the rotor, means on therotor providing a plurality of angularly spaced cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, connecting means between the pistons and the eccentric to cause the reciprocations of the pistons to impart a torque to the rotor, a combustion chamber in the casing communicating in succession with the cylinders, and means to supply fuel and air to the combustion chamber and to cause ignition-ofthe fuel, the combustion chamber having an abutment at its point of communication With a cylinder, said abutment restricting the area of communication.

10. In an internal combustion engine, a casing, a rotor, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft for the rotor, means on the rotor preyiding a plurality of angularly spaced cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, connecting means between the pistons and the eccentric to cause the reciprocations of the pistons to impart a torque to the rotor, a combustion chamber in r the casing communicating in succession with the cylinders, and means to supply fuel and air to the combustion chamber and to cause ignition of the fuel, the combustion chamber having a nozzle outlet at its point of communication with a cylinder to direct a strong flow ofexpanding gases thereinto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RAPHAEL BOILARD. 

